Thursday, May 3, 2012

This is really disappointing. I have not posted on my blog site since March 24, 2012. I’ve been sick and have also endured other issues over the last 6 weeks.

I have only purchased a few collections within that time period and have not sold anything. Seems like the sales of stamps is on a decline at the moment.

I have received some really cool and exciting deals from a few dealers to include Mystic Stamp and Jamestown Stamp Companies. Also several e-mails inquiring how to sell & determine a value an inherited Stamp Collection. More to follow on another post. Best Regards all.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

U.S. #267 is the 1895 2¢ Washington Type III stamp. It is distinguished by the triangles in the upper-right and upper-left corners. On the Type III stamp, the horizontal lines are thin on the inside of the triangle and don’t cross the frame lines of the triangle.

U.S. #267 was also overprinted after the Spanish-American War and used in Cuba, Guam, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico. The overprint for Puerto Rico may also read “Porto Rico.”

Why Watermarks Were Added in 1895

The “Chicago Counterfeits,” as the scandal came to be known, was one of the few counterfeits in the history of U.S. postage stamps. The Post Office Department was made aware of the matter when Edward Lowry contacted Postal Inspector James Stuart. Lowry wanted to know if the Postal Department had any objection to his purchasing the 2¢ current issue at less than face value, as advertised in the Chicago Tribune. The ad read, “We have $115 U.S. two cent stamps which we cannot use here, will send them by express C.O.D. privilege of examination for $100. Canadian Novelty Supply Agency, Hamilton, Ontario, Can.” In essence, they were offering 5,750 stamps worth $115 for $100. The deal sounded suspicious to Inspector Stuart, and in cooperation with Lowry, had him send a request for the stamps.

At about the same time, Nathan Herman called the ad to the attention of U.S. Secret Service agent, Captain Thomas Porter, who joined forces with Inspector Stuart. The agents also had Herman write for a package of stamps. On April 8, 1895, the stamps, which Lowry and Herman had ordered, arrived at the Chicago office of the Wells Fargo Express Company. In addition, five other similar packages arrived, ordered by other people who had seen the ad. Interestingly enough, each of them had received the proper number of stamps. Over 40,000 stamps were confiscated that day!

Meanwhile, on April 6th, Captain Porter was notified that a Mrs. Lacy and her daughter, Tinsa McMillan, had some sort of printing operation set up in a back room of their apartment. When Porter, along with several agents and police officers, searched the apartment later that same evening, they found a copying camera, a perforating machine, copper printing plates, gummed paper, and other paraphernalia for producing stamps. Suspecting they were on the right track, he and Inspector Stuart traveled to Hamilton, Ontario, where they arrested Tinsa McMillan at the office of the Canadian Novelty Supply Company. As head of the organization, she had organized and directed the entire affair, and was sentenced to a year and a half in a reformatory.

A Mr. George Morrison was also arrested over a week later at his downtown Chicago office. A printing press was found there, but no other supplies. Apparently, the stamps were printed at his office and then shipped to Canada.

Seven months later, a Mr. Warren Thompson was arrested. The owner and editor of a magazine called Heart and Hand, he had assisted in making the stamps and was using them as postage on his periodical as a test to determine if the stamps would be discovered when passing through the mail. Thirty thousand more counterfeit stamps were confiscated, bringing the total up to over 70,000 confiscated stamps!

Watermarked Stamps

After the 1895 counterfeiting scam, the Post Office Department made the decision to print the stamps on watermarked paper. A watermark is a pattern impressed into the paper during its manufacture. While still in the wet pulp stage, the paper passes through a “dandy roller” which has “bits” attached to it. These bits are pressed into the paper, causing a slight thinning, and thus imprinting the design.

Beginning with the first postage stamp, watermarks were used to discourage counterfeiting. Britain’s Penny Black was watermarked with a small, simple crown. Various other designs were used until 1967, when Britain produced its first stamp on unwatermarked paper. Today, many British commonwealth countries still use watermarks. The designs range from letters to symbols or emblems, from the simple to the intricate.

The first U.S. watermark consisted of the letters USPS (United States Postal Service) and is described as being “double-lined.” The letters were repeated across the entire sheet, and as a result, only a portion of one or more letters will appear on a stamp. Occasionally, a stamp will have a complete letter on it. When the stamps were printed, no thought was given to the position of the watermark. Consequently, the watermark may be backwards, upside-down, backwards and upside-down, or sideways in relation to the stamp. None are unusual or considered a separate variety.

Errors were made, however, on the 6¢ Garfield and the 8¢ Sherman, when some of the stamps were printed on sheets watermarked USIR (United States Internal Revenue). Since the BEP printed regular issue postage stamps, as well as revenue stamps, it’s easy to see how such a mistake may have happened. Some believe the switch may have been deliberate, because not enough properly marked paper was available.

A watermark can be identified by holding the stamp up to a light source, or with the aid of a watermark tray and benzine fluid. When the stamps are printed on a colored background, as the 1895 series is, the latter method is preferred. The stamp is placed face down in the tray, and a small drop of solution is dropped onto it. As the liquid penetrates the paper, the watermark will show up briefly, as the thinner paper is penetrated first.

Monday, March 12, 2012

My newest addition to my collection. Scotts #703 2c YORKTOWN
Issued in 1931, this stamp commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown. British General Cornwallis surrendered at the Battle of Yorktown. While receiving help from the French Fleet, the American Army cut the British troops off from reinforcements and supplies. After 8 days of bombardment, the British were forced to surrender to General George Washington.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

The last two weeks have been difficult for me.
I think I am over the rough patch for now and hope to get back to regular postings.

I have sent out several stamp packets over the last two weeks. Packets have been sent to China, Indonesia, India, United Kingdom, Malta, South Africa and several states in the United States.
My Facebook fan of the month is Lisa Quinlan, congratulations to her and thanks for following me on Facebook Lisa.

I have an 1898 Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue on the way to me from a friend. I hope to receive it this week. I’m really excited about this Catalogue. It will be the oldest one in my collection.

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

I had a pretty fair weekend.
I managed to reply to almost 100 e-mails.
Being disabled I sometimes have a difficult time doing simple things but what is really amazing is how impatient people can be if you fail to reply to an e-mail immediately.

I got some things done on my Stamp Collection.
I went through a collection that I recently purchased and found a few surprises.
The previous owner collected United Nations Stamps and had a huge collection of US Errors, along with that he had a large Confederate collection as well.
From going through the collection I have concluded that the collector started at a young age and collected all his life. He had left many notes with several stamps.
Real interesting how noted that he would go to the local businesses and ask them for the stamps off the envelopes. He would do this from local merchants, banks and local government offices, smart thinking.
It is really sad when a family chooses not to keep a collection of this magnitude in the family and pass it down.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

As with the Columbian and Trans-Mississippi Exposition stamps that preceded them and as with many of the "commemorative" sets issued in the following decades, the Pan-American stamps were issued to promote an exposition, not to commemorate anything. The term "commemorative" is somewhat misleading, most of our early commemorative stamps may just as well be referred to as promotional stamps.

To get around the law prohibiting the use of advertisements on U.S. postage stamps, "Commemorative Series, 1901" was placed on each stamp, rather than the name of the exposition itself. The inability to advertise directly, in part, gave rise to a variety of Pan-American Exposition cancellations promoting and providing souvenirs for the event. Many of the cancellations and covers bearing these cancellations are very collectible today.

The designs of the frames of the Pan-American stamps are quite large in comparison to the size of the stamps themselves and well-centered copies bring quite a premium. Straight-edges may occur at either the top or bottom of the stamps and care must be taken to insure that the stamp has not been reperforated to make a fully perforated well-centered stamp. Fortunately, there were no straight-edges at left or right, but even then the stamp may have been reperforated to hide a flaw, the point being that special care must be taken when examining a well-centered Pan-American stamp, particularly at top and bottom.

It is interesting to note that no less than half the stamps have "FAST" in the title and a fourth, has "AUTOMOBILE", although not yet reaching the distinction of being "fast", all signifying the role that increased speed would play in the delivery of goods driving the burgeoning economy. Opening in Buffalo, New York on May 1, 1901, the Pan American Exposition and World's Fair high-lighted technical achievement and the role it would play in America's future as the twentieth century began.

The 1¢ Fast Lake Navigation
The one cent stamp portrays the steamship "City of Alpena" which operated along the Great Lakes. The stamp was printed in two steps, first the vignette, the illustration of the steamship, was printed in black and then the frame surrounding it was printed in green. Since it was difficult for the printer to place the sheets in exactly the correct position for the frame to be printed perfectly centered, some misregistration was to be expected. In fact, the ship may appear nearly anywhere in the frame, leading to highly collectible items such as "fast", "slow" and "sinking" ship varieties. But the most collectible variety is the one in which the frame was actually printed upside down! These are known to collectors as "inverted centers" and are highly sought after.

The 2¢ Fast Express
The two cent stamp portrays the "Empire State Express" out of the New York Central and Hudson River Railroads. Politics played a key role in the choice of the design, honoring a New York commercial venture. As with the one cent stamp, misregistration of the vignette was widespread, in fact more so on the two cent than on any others of the series. Shifts with the train well into the frame are known; "Fast" and "Slow" train varieties are very popular among collectors. Inverts are known, but are much rarer than the one cent inverts.

The 4¢ Automobile
The four cent stamp portrays an electric automobile, or more appropriately an "Electric Vehicle Service" as illustrated in the turn of the century Baltimore and Ohio Railroad flyer from which the engraving of the stamp was based, complete with Capitol Dome in the background. There has been some debate as to whether this stamp was the first U.S. stamp to depict a living person. It is argued that the 2¢ Trans-Mississippi stamp holds that distinction and there is merit in Gary Griffith's argument that the two men depicted in the "front" seat are both chauffeurs and that the man in the passenger compartment is actually the first living man depicted on a U.S. stamp - Samuel P. Hege.

Misregistration of the vignette was not as widespread on this stamp as on the 1¢ and 2¢ stamps. Inverts are known, but are the result of deliberate manipulation, not the result of error as were the one cent and two cent inverts. Still, this has not diminished the desirability of the contrived four cent invert, it actually brings a higher premium than the one cent invert, and is nearly equal in desirability to the non-philatelic two cent invert.

The 5¢ Bridge at Niagara Falls
The five cent stamp portrays what was then the largest single span steel bridge in the world, traversing the Niagara Falls. If you look closely you can see two trolley cars crossing the bridge linking the U.S. and Canada. Niagara Falls was of course an integral part of the World's Fair in Buffalo, and the hydroelectric power that it delivered turned on the spectacular "City of Lights", the most breath-taking display of electric light to date, and certainly one of the highlights of the Fair.

Five cents was the rate that paid the foreign destination fee for first class mail. Covers with an Exposition cancellation bring substantial premiums.

The 8¢ Canal Locks at Sault de Ste. Marie
The eight cent stamp portrays the canal locks at Sault de Ste. Marie. As with the "Bridge at Niagara Falls" stamp, this stamp illustrates a spirit of international co-operation, with the sister cities Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan and Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario sharing the honors. The locks were a great engineering feat and did much to promote commerce in the Midwest, providing navigational links between Lake Superior and Lake Huron and therefore the rest of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.

Eight cents paid the registered letter fee in 1901, and most covers bearing this stamp are joined by a 2¢ stamp, paying both the letter and registry fee.

The 10¢ Fast Ocean Navigation
The ten cent stamp portrays the American Liner steamship, St. Paul, with a touch of artistic license. The St. Paul's claim to fame was that it was the first commercial ship to be commissioned as a warship during the Spanish-American War, still fresh in the minds of the designers of this series.

Ten cents paid the letter and registry fee in 1901, and solo usage is common for covers bearing this stamp, although the covers themselves are not at all common.

The following postage stamp varieties were first issued by the U.S. in 1901:
No new major varieties of regular issue U.S. postage stamps were issued in 1901
No new varieties of U.S. Special Delivery stamps were issued in 1901
No new varieties of U.S. Postage Due stamps were issued in 1901

The stamp collection assembled by French/Austrian aristocrat Philipp von Ferrary (1850–1917) at the beginning of the 20th century is widely considered the most complete stamp collection ever formed (or likely to be formed). It included, for example, all of the rare stamps described above that had been issued by 1917. However, as Ferrary was an Austrian citizen, the collection was broken up and sold by the French government after the First World War, as war reparations.

Several European monarchs were keen stamp collectors, including King George V of the United Kingdom and King Carol II of Romania. King George V possessed one of the most valuable stamp collections in the world and became President of the Royal Philatelic Society. His collection was passed on to Queen Elizabeth II who, while not a serious philatelist, has a collection of British and Commonwealth first day covers which she started in 1952.

Franklin Roosevelt, who designed several American commemorative stamps while U.S. President, was a stamp collector. Late in life Ayn Rand renewed her childhood interest in stamps and became an enthusiastic collector. Several entertainment and sport personalities have been known to be collectors. Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the band Queen, collected stamps as a child. His childhood stamp album is in the collection of the British Postal Museum & Archive. John Lennon of The Beatles was a childhood stamp collector. His stamp album is held by the National Postal Museum.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

I have spent several days logging many stamps. I is so exciting when I discover stamps that I had not clue that I had in my collection.

The other day while going through a collection that I bought online, I was going through my normal routine of removing the stamps from pages, envelopes etc and I discover several glassine envelopes filled with Air Mail Stamps C-1 -C127. All in mint condition and unused. What a find.

Over the last few weeks we have gained some new members in the Yahoo Group and on the Facebook Page. I am looking forward to further participation from our new members. Feel free to join in the conversation or start a topic if you wish, such as something about your collection, what you have to sell, trade or wish list.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

The U.S. Postal Service today announced the new Love Ribbons Forever Stamp is on sale today at usps.com and by phone at 800-782-6724. Stamps are arriving in Post Offices over the next few days and will be sold as soon as they are available.
“We are excited to bring this colorful new stamp to our customers in time for them to mail their Valentine’s Day greeting cards and letters,” said Stamp Services Manager, Stephen Kearney. “We will continue selling the Garden of Love stamps too.” The official dedication ceremony for Love Ribbons will be held Feb. 14 in Colorado Springs, CO.
Evoking images of romance and elegance, this year’s Love stamp features a graphic design of satin ribbons that spell out the word “Love” in a graceful, cursive script.
Like stamps, ribbons often adorn special packages to friends and family. Attached to floral arrangements, boxes of candy, and gifts of all kinds, ribbons beautify and embellish gestures of romance, friendship and caring. Silk, satin, taffeta and organdy ribbons often are used to enhance the beauty of bridal bouquets and invitations for weddings and other special celebrations for friends and loved ones.
Graphic designer Louise Fili worked with art director Derry Noyes on this stamp.
The Love Ribbons stamp is being issued as a Forever Stamp in self-adhesive sheets of 20. Forever stamps are always equal in value to the current First-Class Mail 1-ounce price. At the time of issuance, the Love Ribbons stamps are being sold at a price of 45 cents each, or $9 per sheet.
Customers may view the Love Ribbons Forever Stamp, as well as many of this year’s other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, through http://www.twitter.com/uspsstamps or on the website Beyond the Perf at beyondtheperf.com/stamp-releases/2012. Beyond the Perf is the Postal Service’s online site for background on upcoming stamp subjects, first-day-of-issue events and other philatelic news.How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark, Love Ribbons Forever Stamp
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at usps.com/shop or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:
Love Ribbons Stamp
Postmaster
201 E. Pikes Peak Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80903-9998
After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes by mail. There is no charge for the postmark.
All orders must be postmarked by April 14, 2012.How to Order First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:
Information Fulfillment
Dept. 6270
U.S. Postal Service
P.O. Box 219014
Kansas City, MO 64121-9014Philatelic ProductsThere are four philatelic products available for this stamp issue:

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

I open up a Stamp Collection that a friend purchased a year ago from an estate sale in Fla. When he comes across collections he will buy them and send them to me with a bill.
To my amazement the collector started collecting stamps while serving in the U.S. Military.
In his collection, I found his diary, he wrote about everyplace he was, things he had done, saw and his own thoughts of the different parts of the world.
In his Stamp Books he had the stamps logged, dated the day he got the stamp and country.
This collector had been in Austria, France, Germany, Hungry, Italy, Romania and the South Pacific.
He was in both WWI & WWII along with being in the Korean War.

He has an extensive world wide collection with some amazing stamps in it. The other great thing about this collection is the post cards that he had sent to his wife, children, parents and others along with the postcards he received from 1917-1954.
Just when I am awed by all this I find in the bottom of the box, envelopes and cigar boxes with currency from all the countries he had been to along with military scrip, service metals and several photographs.
I am going to organize this and take it to a local historian and get his opinion on this find. It is truly amazing.
I just can not believe what people will sell or throw away without realizing what they have.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Over the weekend I spent several hours working on my collection. Over the years I have acquired so many stamps from E-State Sales, On-Line Purchases and Donated to me I have yet to really go through many of them. So as a New Years Resolution I decided that I was going to go through all the boxes and bags of stamps, log them and decide whether to sell, trade or donate the ones I do not want.
I will keep you updated.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The biggest regularly scheduled stamp bourse on the West Coast is in its second day today in Garden Grove. It's the annual ORCOEXPO, a commercial bourse at Embassy Suites – South, 11767 Harbor Blvd.
The annual event is presented by Stephen Pattillo, who runs smaller events almost every weekend in Orange and Los Angeles counties. The bourse started Friday and continues today (10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and features 53 dealers, the United Nations Post Office and an auction by Regency Superior with sessions each day. Admission and parking are free.
The dealers come from as far away as Australia.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Stamp Art Fever Updated With February New Themed Collections

Pisa, Italy - Indie developers Francesco Chessari and Nicola Pacini today are thrilled to announce the release and worldwide availability of the updated version of Stamp Art Fever, the first title with intriguing combination of social gaming, art and stamp collecting. This update include Holiday themed collections: 60 new art-stamps to collect plus several improvements.

In Stamp Art Fever you are an art-stamp collector who builds his virtual stamp collection by continuously searching, buying, trading, and bidding on any of over 600 beautiful stamps in 20 levels. Every stamp is a little piece of art created by professional illustrators and artists exclusively for this game!

If you enjoy collecting or you are a simple amateur of arts, Stamp Art Fever is a must-have game for you. Elegant graphics, beautiful stamps with realistic art design, melodious background music will take you into a different world!

You have several ways to get the stamps you are looking for:
* Visit the Philately and make your purchases
* Sell to shop your duplicates to get coins for new stamps
* Search your missing copy in the Black Market
* Connect with other players all over the world and propose exchange
* Participate in auctions to bid on hard-to-find stamps

The statement from the alternative investment advocacy group follows the announcement of solid profits at a UK-based stamp dealer, Stanley Gibbons. The firm expects its profits to rise to £5 million this year as a growing number of investors put their cash into tangible, alternative asset classes, such as stamps, antiques, art, wine, precious metals, real estate and timber.

The chief executive of Stanley Gibbons, Michael Hall, said, "We have had people calling up from all over the world saying they want to put £1m into stamps, asking us to advise them.”

AAA claims that the recent sale of the largest stamp collection in the world for some £20 million last year proves that there is money in stamps. “If anyone had any doubt, just look at Sir Humphrey Cripp’s collection,” stated AAA’s analysis partner, Anthony Johnson. “He bought the stamps in 1972 for just £29,000…now that’s a serious rate of return.”

Some of the rarest stamps are among the most valuable things on the planet, including the 1855 Treskilling Yellow, which weighs just 0.03 grams and is worth £5 million. Its rarity is based around the fact that its yellow colour was actually a mistake and it should actually have been green. Sir Humphrey’s collection also had a number of Penny Blue stamps, which are among the rarest in the stamp world.

Anthony Johnson explained that people are increasingly looking for alternative assets in which to invest, as a result of the volatility of traditional assets, and in particular stocks an shares.

AAA supports a range of alternative asset classes, not least forestry investment through firms like Greenwood Management, which specialises in forestry plantation investments in Brazil.

About Alternative Asset Analysis
The remit of Alternative Asset Analysis is to analyse and provide news on the global performance of a wide range of alternative asset classes including, but not restricted to, commodities, real estate, forestry, foreign exchange, hedge funds, private equity and venture capital.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Tom Culver can attest to the fact that much can be learned from an avid philatelist.
Better known as stamp collectors, Culver said he has learned about global politics by what countries print on their stamps.
“You’ll know all the answers on ‘Jeopardy!’ if you collect stamps,” Culver said.
He has been attending the Mid Michigan Stamp Collecting meet-up for more than 50 years.
Tuesday at the Isabella County Commission on Aging, 2200 S. Lincoln St., three of the about seven members sifted through thousands of stamps Culver bought by the pound from a stamp dealer.

Two hours of sifting brought smiling faces, as stamps from the bags were bought for three cents each, and collections were sold for 10 percent of their face value.
Culver said although the Scott Standard Postage Stamp Catalog, often referred to as the philatelist’s bible, deem many stamps of miniscule value, he collects because of his love of the many varieties.
Each member took turns passing stamps to fellow philatelists to examine.
“Damaging the corners is like damaging a painting,” Culver said.
He said he first joined the group after moving to Mount Pleasant to work as a geologist for the DNR in the ’50s.
“The hobby is not what it used to be,” Culver said.
The three club members all wore prescription aviator glasses, which helped aid their searches through thick piles of stamps.
Richard Moreau said size and perforation are important components of what collectors seek.
Moreau recommended taking stamps off envelopes with water, but said special solvents are needed for more recent stamps, along with using special varieties of glue.
Moreau has been a club member for more than 10 years and has more than 15,000 stamps in his collection.
“Sometimes mint cents are worth more, and others were worth just enough to mail something,” Moreau said.
Some stamps are from fictitious countries made to turn a profit, while others indicate they are from specific places.
Randy Kursinsky traveled from Midland for the club’s monthly meeting, held at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month.
“I think there’s a gene you have to have to collect things, whether its jeans or salt and pepper shakers,” Kursinsky said.
Culver and Kursinsky admitted to having thousands upon thousands of stamps in their collections.
“Anything that appeals aesthetically, people collect,” Culver said. “But as you get older, you can’t keep everything,”

Thursday, January 19, 2012

China has just released a limited edition postage stamp for the Year of the dragon.
Demand for it has been red-hot, with resale prices increasing seven fold within the same day.
China Post said its a phenomenon never before seen in philatelic history.

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Danny Thomas, the versatile entertainer who spent seven decades on radio, TV and film, will make a posthumous appearance on a "forever" postage stamp in honor of the 50th anniversary of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which he founded in 1962.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Israel's Haaretz.com website reports, "A postage stamp is at the heart of a conflict between Israel and Gibraltar, a tiny British overseas territory on the straits connecting the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean. The stamp slated to be released by both the postal services of Israel and Gibraltar, will apparently never find its way to any envelopes, after the Gibraltar’s postal service refused to approve its design for apparent political reasons"
Read the entire article, click here.

Pictures of Christchurch's lost churches and historic Sumner trams are on display at a special stamp and postcard exhibition this weekend.
The two-day Addington raceway show, which has free entry, marks the centenary of the Christchurch Philatelic Society - the second oldest stamp club in the country.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Hello,
My name is Mark and I have been a Stamp Collector since 1975.
I mostly collect United States Postage Stamps, Plate Blocks, unused and used. (General Issue, Air Mail, Special Delivery, Postage Due, Federal Duck, Official, Parcel Post and Revenue)
I got into collecting FDC Issues, cachet covers and post cards in the early 80’s
I also have an extreme World Collection of stamps. I mostly enjoy stamps that are from the time period of 1847-1951

I mostly buy stamps; however I do sell & Trade.

I also have a Yahoo Group Page & Facebook page, not very active but I hope that will change as others join.

Abbreviation Index for Stamp Collectors

MMH: Mint, Never Hinged; The stamp has never been hinged and has the original gum as issued by the POOG: Original GumLPOG: Large Part of Original GumPOG: Part of Original GumGD: Original Gum DisturbanceNG: No GumNGAI: No Gum As IssuedUnused: A stamp that has no gum or is regummedMVLH: Mint, Very Lightly HingedMLH: Mint Lightly HingedMH: Mint HingedU: UsedVF: Very Fine; selvage presence, plate or die varieties and scarcity.VFU: Very Fine UsedHR: Hinge RemnantMC: Mixed Condition (Faulty to Fine)B.O.B.: Back of BookS/S: Souvenir SheetPB: Plate BlockFDC: First Day CoverSCV: Scott Catalog Value (US Dollars)US: United StatesWW: World Wide

Philatelic Terms for Stamp Collectors

Adhesive. In actuality, what a stamp is: a piece of paper which, by way of its gummed or pressure-sensitive back, pays for postage when applied to a piece of mail. With revenue stamps, the adhesive pays some kind of tax.

Airmail Stamps. Postage stamps used to pay the airmail postage rates. The U.S. stopped issuing airmails stamps in the 1970s when all mail began to be sent by air.

Approvals. Priced selections of stamps sent to collectors by dealers. Collectors pick what they want to buy, and return the selection to the dealer with payment.

Arrow. On many sheets of stamps, small arrow markings appear in the sheet margin. This was done to aid in the perforation process.

As Is. A term usually used by auctions to denote that a stamp is offered for sale without any guarantees.

Authentication Mark. A tiny mark that appears on many older and rare stamps. It denotes that an expert has examined and approved the stamp’s authenticity.

Backstamp. Postmark applied to the reverse of a cover (see below for "Covers") to indicate transit or receipt of mail. Oval backstamps are also used on registered mail.

Bogus. A fictitious stamp-like label created solely for sale to collectors. Such "bogus stamps" are not good for postage.

Cancel, Cancellation. A marking, usually a handstamp or postmark, that indicates a stamp has been used.

Catalog. Comprehensive listing of postage and revenue stamps, including current price valuations and illustrations.

Catalog Value. The value of a stamp given by a stamp catalog (i.e., Scott catalogue value, etc.). These valuations are not necessarily the prices at which the stamps can be purchased. Often, depending on condition, stamps can be purchased below catalog value (or above, if the condition of the stamp(s) warrant same).

Centering. The relative position of a stamp’s design in relation to the margins surrounding it. Centerin is a very important consideration in determining a stamp’s value.

Classic Stamp/Issues. An early issue, with connotation of rarity.

Coil. Stamps prepared in rolls (of from 100 to 1,000) for use in vending machines.

Commemorative. A stamp issued to honor some person, place or event.

Condition. The overall state of a stamp or cover as it relates to everything from condition of the gum (present or absent), centering, presence or absence of damage to a stamp/cover, etc.

Counterfeit. Any stamp or cover or cancellation created for the purposes of deception.

Cover. An envelope or piece of postal stationery (a postcard would also fall into this category)---and usually one that has gone through the mails. In earlier days (19th century), a cover would also refer to a folded letter that had gone through the mails.

Crease. Some kind of fold that indicates a weaking of the paper on a stamp or cover.

Cylinder. A printing plate used on a modern rotary printing press.

Definitive. A stamp issued for an indefinite period to pay a particular rate of postage. Also called "regular issues".

Denomination. The face value of a stamp.

Entire. An intact piece of postal stationery (i.e., envelopes on which the stamp has been printed).

Essay. Artwork of a proposed design for a stamp or piece of postal stationery. An essay must, in fact, be different in some way from the actual design of the issued stamp or stationery.

Expertization. The examination of a philatelic item by an acknowledged expert in order to see if the item is genuine. This generally means an experizing body such as the American Philatelic Expertizing Service.

Face Value. The value of a stamp as noted on its face.

Fake. Stamp or cover that has been altered in order to raise its value or appeal to a collector.

First Day Cover. An envelope bearing a stamp (and official first day of issue postmark) which has been cancelled on the first day the stamp was issued to the public.

Forgery. A fraudulent reproduction of a postage stamp or cover.

Frame. The outside area of a stamp’s design.

Freak. An abnormal stamp that has some kind of printing flaw---from overinking to perforation mistakes.

Grill. A waffle iron type of pattern impressed into some mid-19th century U.S. stamps to prevent such stamps from being washed and reused after their original use on mail.

Gum. The substance applied to the reverse of stamps to help them adhere to a mailing item.

Gutter. The selvage, with or without plate numbers or controls numbers/letters between the panes of a sheet of stamps.

Handstamp. Some form of cancellation or postal marking.

Hinge. A tiny piece of glassine-like paper, gummed, folded and then used to mount stamps into an album.

Imperforate. Stamps without perforations or separation device between then on a sheet.

Invert. A term used for stamps printed in two or more colors and which has the active area of one of the colors printed upside down. The most famous such invert is the U.S. 24-cent inverted "Jenny" airmail stamp of 1918.

Line pair. A line printed between a pair of coil stamps. Appears because of the guideline that is printed between panes on a sheet of stamps.

Lithography. Flat surface printing with a design area that is ink-receptive. The area that is not to print is ink-repellant.

Margin. The selvage surrounding the stamps on a sheet.

Meter Stamp. Government permit of various face value and printed by machine on a piece of adhesive paper (or on the actual envelope) to indicate postage paid. Invented by the Pitney-Bowes company in the early 1900s.

Miniature Sheet. A smaller than normal sheetlet of stamps issued only in that form or in addition to the normal full panes of stamps.

Mint. A stamp in the same condition as when it was issued and purchased at the post office. Original gum is on the reverse and the stamp has never been hinged into an album.

Mounts. Vinyl or plastic holders, clear on the front and with gum on the back. Stamps and philatelic items are placed inside the mount and them mounted into an album.

Multicolor. More than two colors.

Multiple. An unseparated group of stamps (two or more).

NH. Never Hinged.

Official. Stamp or stationery used to pay postage by a government agency.

Offset Printing. A printing process that transfers an inked image from a plate to a roller, the roller then applying the ink to the paper.

On Paper. Stamps, usually used, which have been used on mail and still adhere to all or part of that original piece of mail.

OG/Original Gum. The gummed surface on a stamp is the actual gum that was originally applied to that stamp.

Overprint. Any printing over the original design of a stamp. For instance, an overprint that upgrades or changes the value of a stamp.

Pair. Two unseparated stamps.

Pane. The unit into which a full sheet of stamps is divided before it is sold at a post office. Many U.S. stamps were printed in sheets of 400 and broken down into four panes of 100 stamps each before sale.

Penny Black. The world’s first postage stamp, the one-penny stamp issued by Great Britain in May 1840.

Perfins. Stamps punched with "perforated initials" or other designs and used generally by commercial firms in order to deter theft.

Perforation. The punching out of holes between stamps in order to aid in their separation. There are various kinds and sizes or perforations which are measured by a perforation gauge. Often, a particular size of perforation can differ on stamps that look very much alike. Different valuations can be the result.

Perforation Gauge. A metal, plastic or cardboard instrument used (easily) to measure the size of perforations (see above).

Philately. The collection and study of postage stamps and related items.

Photogravure. Modern printing process where stamps are printed through the photographic plate making process and through the use of chemicals.

Plate. The printing unit place on a press to print stamps.

Plate Block, or Plate Number Block. A block of stamps which includes the corner selvage from the pane and bearing plate numbers from the printing process.

PNC. Plate number coil.

Postage Dues. Stamps or markings that indicate an underpayment of postage.

Postal History. The study of postal markings, routes and rates of mail. And anything to do with the history of the mails.

Postmark. An official postal marking usually giving the date and origin or a piece of mail and is often part of the cancellation obliterating a stamp to prevent reuse.

Precancel. Stamp with a special cancellation or overprint and which was applied before the stamp is used on mail. This bypasses normal cancelling and saves much time when large numbers of mail are being used.

Proofs. Trial impressions from a die or printing plate that are made before the formal production of stamps. Such proofs are made to check defects in the plate work or design of the stamps.

Reprint. A stamp printed from its original plate after that stamp has ceased to be sold and postally used.

Revenues. Stamps usd for the prepayment of payment of various kinds of taxes.

Rouletting. The piercing of the paper between stamps (as opposed to perforations which are holds) that creates slits that aid in separating the stamps.

Selvage. The unprinted marginal area around the outer edges on a sheet or pane of stamps.

"Specimen". Stamp or stationery overprinted "Specimen" and distributed to member countries of the Universal Postal Union.

Tagging. The impregnation of phosphorescent dies into the paper used to print a stamp. When "read" by special Ultra Violet machines during mail processing, the phosphors determine the face value of the stamp(s) being used to pay postage.

Unused. An uncancelled stamp (as opposed to a mint stamp, see above), but one that has been hinged for mounting into an album. Such stamps can be either gummed or ungummed (the gum having been washed off).

Used. A stamp or stationery item that has been used for the purpose for which it was intended: usage on the mail. Such an item usually bears all or part of a cancel or obliteration device.

Variety. A variation from the standard form of a stamp. Varieties can include watermarks, different kinds of perforations, wrong colors or printing and production mistakes (overinking, missing colors, etc.)

Watermark. A machine-applied, deliberate thinning of paper during its manufacture, to produce a semi-transparent pattern or design of some kind.

This glossary of descriptions offers many of the most basic terms in philately. For a broader, more-detailed list of terms, see the American Philatelic Society website to learn how to obtain their inexpensive book, "Introduction to Stamp Collecting".

Welcome to the

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About Me

Hello and Welcome,
My name is Mark and I have been a Stamp Collector since 1975.
I mostly collect United States Postage Stamps, Plate Blocks, unused and used. (General Issue, Air Mail, Special Delivery, Postage Due, Federal Duck, Official, Parcel Post and Revenue)
I got into collecting FDC Issues, cachet covers and post cards in the early 80’s
I also have an extreme World Collection of stamps.
I mostly enjoy stamps that are from the time period of 1847-1951
I mostly buy stamps; however I do sell & Trade.
I also have a Yahoo Group Page, not very active but I hope that will change as others join.